Hello! Please don't laugh! I am a newie!

[SCW1154]

Hello All!

I'll start by apologising now, I know very, very little about welding and am probably gonna seem a right muppet! Sorry! But here we go!

I'm Stuart, a newie to the forum, I want to try and learn about welding and try to get my self set up correctly as I have now the need to do a little bit of allumimium welding!
I think I heard you lot sigh already! LOL!

I only have a Clarke 100e! Which get's used little and not very often! I have only really played with a few metal joins and the odd exhaust repair with it, so haven't really got any experince, and only the said small welder.

I have read the tutorial on how to weld various types of metals, so have now kitted the welder with a teflon liner, an over sized tip, Argon gas and the correct alloy wire. I hope that's the shopping sorted right!

The job I have to do is butt joint 2 sections of alloy box secting! It's 2mm thick, 20mm x 20mm. It's a rear frame to a motor bike! And as I'm not the smallest of blokes, so I've gotta sure I do it right, or my butt certainly will be on the line! He He!

I've tried having a play, but other than destorying the tips, or making nice alloy balls run everywhere, I'm not winning! I have no real idea as to what I am not doing wrong or right, wire speed, power setting or even the gas level! Arrrggghhh!

Please can you help!!!!!

Thank you for your time in reading this, if anything, I hope it made you laugh!
Again apologises for being so daft!

Thanks,
SCW.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hi SCW, welcome to the forum.
While you may be able to get reasonable looking practice welds after some fettling, something as critical as a motorcycle frame needs doing correctly and really is a job for an experienced tig welder. It's not just your butt on the line, it's your life and possibly that of others if it fails at speed.
Sorry if this sounds a bit negative but it's been discussed several times on here in the past and the answer has always been the same; Take it to someone with experience.

 

[clem dog]

Hi welcome to the forum!

Anything structural would be best welded by a profesional as its yours and possibly others lives on the line! But that would certainely not stop you getting some ally and having a a crack at some fun stuff thats not so crucial

Oh and dont forget to post a few pics!!

Gareth

 

[malcolm]

Aluminium welding with MIG is very tricky, especially on a small machine and thin aluminium. Generally wire speed will need to be much higher, and travel speed higher too, and it takes a massive amount of practice for someone skilled with steel MIG welding.

Even then it's not really suited, and very difficult to get a decent weld. Mine were OK for bodywork when I used a heat sink, but I'd not have trusted them structurally. I'm with Woz on this one - TIG is the thing for the job. 100 times easier for aluminium.

 

[SCW1154]

Hello!

Thanks for the advise gents, I did say it was there'd be daft questions!

Now worries about getting it TIG welded, concidering it's not a big job to be done, I was just wondering if it was possible to do myself.

I don't know any professionals who do TIG, I'm from London and moved to Suffolk a few years ago, so haven't really got the chance to work out where would be best to go!

Does anyone have an idea to how much I might be looking at for a costing?

I don't often get things done by other people, I like to learn and do it myself, but wouldn't want to take any chances on my bike!

Thank you for your responses. Are there any idea's as to what I could do ref to the welding problem currently?

I had thought about making an alloy bracket for the number plate and indicators, I know, I'm being a tart now! He He!

Would it be worth having a go? I'm not gonna be using it for anything else, so I could have a go at that, there is no strain except there own weight on the bracket? Or should I just give up now whilst I can still see! He He!

Cheers,
SCW.

 

[Arsonista]

The best bits of this forum are that no one laughs at you and anyone that offers help will be friendly and experienced. As said before, you would be ok to 'tack up' the frame, but take it to a pro for welding. Most Fab shops or sheetmetal shops will do it and small one man band welders may do it for a 'drink'. If it isn't structural, have a go, if you don't like it, chuck it away and do it again, but be warned, if you like what you end up with, you could be addicted for life !!!.

 

[SCW1154]

Thanks Arsonista,
I've checked a few places on the net, and found a specialist that is fairly local. I've been given a price of £60.00, I take it that is resonable?

Is there anything that I should specify or ask about when getting it done?

I was going to add a re-enforcing section, within the box section, is there any advise on what material would be best? Would a steel box sectioning or alloy be best? Would it make a difference to the weld? e.i. heat transfer or interputing the fusion during welding? If that's the right term for it? LOL

I did warn you there'd probably be daft questions! He He!

Also, is there any advise ref to my welders set up for in turn then making the number plate bracket? I was going to try and use the remains of my old frame to make it, save on the pennies, but would getting a thinner sheet of alloy be better to use?

Thank again!

SCW.

 

[malcolm]

£60 sounds brilliant!

All I will ever know about aluminium welding with MIG I wrote down on this page: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/aluminium-welding.htm If you read all the way down you'll see why I don't plan to do it again.

The reinforcing section will need to be as close as possible to the material; used in the rest of it. Can lead to complications when you use different materials, especially as different as aluminium and steel.

 

[Paul.]

If its only welding, it should be about half an hours work by the sound of it, a lot of companies have a minimum order charge of about £50 to £60,
I would try to find a piece of 16mm square ally bar to push up the box section, it will keep it straight as well as reinforcing the joint, a piece of 16 dia round bar would also do the job.

 

[BillJ]

If it were me, I'd be determined to have a go myself and learn but I'd be cautious, of course. The bracing section inserted in the box is what I'd do too. Having seen how Malcolm did his Renault steering column, I'd treat it as an inside-out version of that and plug-weld the outer to the inner as well as welding the seam.
http://www.renault4.co.uk/steering-column.htm

Practice plug-welding (probably easier on steel) and ally welding until you reckon you can put the two together. By that stage you'll be well ahead of me
I can plug-weld but haven't had the practice to get the ally sorted (only just got my SIP wire-feed working reasonably )

To paraphrase a well-known saying: buy a fish (a big fish) and you feed yourself for a day; buy a rod and teach yourself to fish and you feed yourself for a lifetime